


Ring

by dinosaurdragon



Series: Missing Moments from TWotS [8]
Category: Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Discussion of sacrifice, M/M, pre-Battle of Denerim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-21
Updated: 2016-02-21
Packaged: 2018-05-22 10:43:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6076338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dinosaurdragon/pseuds/dinosaurdragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The night before the final battle of the Blight, Castor desperately pulls a promise from Darrien.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ring

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place in chapter 21 of the Blight, just after the very first scene.

Outside the tent, a fire crackled and popped. Vir’era’s song had sounded more like a prayer, and it echoed dismally in Castor’s mind. He twisted the ring on his finger—his Cousland signet ring. Not that it could do much for him against a fucking Archdemon or the fears haunting him. Riordan said one of them would have to die to kill it. The thought tore at Castor.

He knew Capella wouldn’t be the one to sacrifice herself. She’d just secured herself a place as Queen once they finished. There was simply no way his sister would let herself be killed now. And to be quite frank… Castor wasn’t about to do it, either. Sure, if everyone else had already died, he’d do it. But he would not be first in line to sacrifice himself. Not even for the greater good.

Not when he’d just gotten Darrien. Gorgeous Darrien.

As if summoned, Darrien chose that moment to enter the tent. Castor preferred this—sharing the tent. Fereldan nights got cold.

“Hey,” he murmured, reaching one hand out to caress Darrien’s face. Castor’s skin looked cloud-white next to the earthy brown of his lover’s.

“Hey,” Darrien returned, leaning just a little into the touch.

“Darrien,” Castor said, words soft and slow, “I need you to promise me something.”

Darrien’s jaw clenched under Castor’s hand. He knew, of course. He knew exactly what Castor was about to ask for. He just wasn’t sure he could give it. He met Castor’s gaze anyway. “Anything.”

Castor’s eyes were entrancing. If Capella could command with words, Castor could do so with his stare. “Promise me… Love, promise me you won’t e the hero. I need you to live.”

“Castor…” Sadness, despair, hopelessness, these all gripped Darrien’s heart like they would crush it if he moved.

Castor ignored Darrien’s obvious pain. “Please, Darrien. I don’t want to lose you. I know it’s selfish. I can’t even say that I’d be unable to continue without you, because we both know that would be a lie. But still, I don’t want to.”

“But, Castor, someone… someone has to.” A futile phrase, offered regardless. Darrien was weak, maybe. Once he’d done just about anything his father had asked, to make him happy. Now it was Castor who he so desperately wanted to please. He knew, he knew his resolve was breaking. And so did Castor.

“So let someone else,” Castor insisted and pressed his forehead to Darrien’s. “Capella won’t, but that’s fin. She’s gonna be Queen. Anyone else, though. Please, Darrien, let someone else do it.”

Fuck. Castor was crying. Darrien didn’t think it would mean so much to Castor that he live—I’m just an elf, he thought, you’re a noble. I should be replaceable to you. But he didn’t believe that. Not anymore. Castor had proven himself to be altogether different from other nobles. Elves weren’t expendable to him. For that, if nothing else, for the tears Castor was shedding at even the thought of losing him, Darrien, too, began to cry. How could he deny Castor anything?

He grabbed Castor’s head and pulled him close, pressing the human’s face to his neck as he wrapped his arms around for an embrace. “Dammit, Castor,” he whispered. Castor’s hands gripped his tunic tightly. “Fine. You win, dammit. I promise. I’ll let someone else. I won’t leave you. I love you.”

Castor pulled back enough to kiss him, an almost painful kiss, their lips crushing together without regard for logic. He ended the kiss too soon, and press warm metal into one of Darrien’s hands. “Say it again,” he demanded, breath hot over Darrien’s face.

“I won’t leave you. I love you, Castor Cousland.”

“Maker, but I love you, too.”

From that moment forward, Darrien wore the Cousland signet ring with pride.

**Author's Note:**

> another quick little fic to apologize for the lack of my regular updates until march


End file.
